OCC features exceptional facilities and the latest in technology and offers more than 135 academic and career programs, including one of the nation’s largest and most acclaimed public nautical programs.

OCC features exceptional facilities and the latest in technology and offers more than 135 academic and career programs, including one of the nation’s largest and most acclaimed public nautical programs.

OCC features exceptional facilities and the latest in technology and offers more than 135 academic and career programs, including one of the nation’s largest and most acclaimed public nautical programs.

OCC features exceptional facilities and the latest in technology and offers more than 135 academic and career programs, including one of the nation’s largest and most acclaimed public nautical programs.

OCC features exceptional facilities and the latest in technology and offers more than 135 academic and career programs, including one of the nation’s largest and most acclaimed public nautical programs.

OCC features exceptional facilities and the latest in technology and offers more than 135 academic and career programs, including one of the nation’s largest and most acclaimed public nautical programs.

Theatre Arts

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​OCC is home to one of th​e finest community college theatre departments. OCC’s Theatre Department produces more than 30 productions annually on its three stages.

Our students have gone on to attend such prestigious schools and conservatories as UCLA, USC, NYU, Yale School of Drama, Julliard, Circle in the Square, and ACT. Our graduates work in film, television and theater across the nation, and have founded several successful theatre companies.

With 550 students enrolled in theatre courses, and with 180 declared majors, OCC’s Theatre Arts Department provides the most diverse and comprehensive theatre experience in Orange County. OCC Theatre offers an AA-T degree (Associate of Arts-Transfer) in Theatre Arts, which provides a path to guaranteed admission as a junior-year transfer student in theatre at one of California's CSU campuses.

OCC offers students the unique opportunity to create and perform in three distinctly different settings: the 900-seat Robert B. Moore Theatre, the 175-seat Drama Lab Theatre, and the 50-seat Drama Lab Studio Theatre. In those settings, students will encounter a laboratory experience that challenges their classroom-acquired knowledge and skills.

Our program is designed to fit the needs of the beginning actor, the returning adult and the dedicated theatre student who is seeking a career in the profession.

Because of our location, close to the heart of the entertainment industry, OCC is uniquely situated to offer a wide variety of courses and training.

Courses offered at OCC include four levels of acting, improvisation, stage combat and voice and articulation. The full technical program ranges from lighting and stagecraft to make-up, costuming and scenic design.

OCC’s Repertory (The Rep) trains students in all aspects of production. Since 1984, this student-operated and faculty-supervised theatre company has been offering students the opportunity to direct, act, write, stage manage and create designs and technical elements for a full season of productions.

Main-stage productions are directed by recognized theatre professionals and educators, offering students and theatre-goers a blend of classical as well as contemporary theatre. Challenging production choices are made to provide students with an opportunity to develop and perfect their craft. Seasons consist of the latest in contemporary theatre, children shows, musical and classical theatre.

Orange Coast College is one of the nation’s finest community colleges. With an enrollment of 25,000 students, OCC is situated on a beautiful 164-acre campus in Costa Mesa, California, five miles from the beach. The campus features exceptional facilities and the latest in computer and high-tech equipment.

We’re number one out of Southern California’s 57 community colleges in the number of students we transfer to University of California and California State University campuses. Thousands of our former students are currently enrolled at universities across the country. ​